Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

University of Delaware women's basketball alumna Elena Delle Donne will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2026, the organization announced today. She will be the first Fightin' Blue Hen to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Wilmington, Delaware, native is one of the most recognized and accomplished student-athletes in the history of the Fightin' Blue Hens. She followed her record-breaking performance at UD with an impressive career as a 2016 Olympic gold medalist, WNBA superstar, author, spokesperson and role model.

The 2013 bachelor's of human services graduate from the College of Education and Human Development enjoyed an incredible four seasons on the hardwood from 2009-2013. She set nearly every school record, led the 2013 team to a 32-4 record, a trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 and paced the 2012 squad to a 31-2 mark and another NCAA Tournament run.

The 2013 Honda National Player of the Year, she also was a three-time All-American, a three-time Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Year, set 45 school records, established numerous CAA marks and finished as the No. 5 all-time leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,039 points. She still ranks 11th all-time in the NCAA in scoring. Delle Donne averaged 26.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game for her career.

An outstanding scholar-athlete, she was a two-time Capital One National Academic All-American of the Year and a two-time CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Delle Donne was drafted by the Chicago Sky with the second overall pick of the 2013 WNBA Draft. With Chicago, she was the 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year, 2015 WNBA MVP and a two-time All-WNBA First Team selection, before being traded to the Washington Mystics in 2017. Delle Donne went on to win the 2019 WNBA title, while adding a second MVP honor that season and two more All-WNBA First Team nods. The seven-time WNBA All-Star was selected to the WNBA 25th Anniversary Team in 2021.

Delle Donne announced her retirement from professional basketball on April 4, 2025. She currently serves as special advisor to Monumental Basketball, the parent company of the Mystics as well as the first managing director of the USA 3x3 Women's National Team.

Enshrinement Weekend will begin at the Mohegan Sun on Friday, Aug. 14, with the Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala, followed by the Enshrinement Ceremony the next day at Springfield's historic Symphony Hall. All event tickets and VIP hospitality packages will go on sale on April 4, at 1 p.m., following the 2026 Class Announcement. For more information, visit hoophall.com/events/enshrinement-2026/.